The Merrow's Code
by 1950sfashionlover
Summary: OK, this is a piece of my writing that I have wanted to publish for a while, but I have been to shy to publish it. It is COMPLETELY my idea, so DON'T use it please. This is a "romance" sorta' and I am proud of it. So, if you like it, follow, comment, do whatever. Anyway, you will not know any of my characters and this is not a fanfiction.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

*The Early 1600's*

The beautiful streaks of yellow and purple flashed across the grey sky, and the angry waves were bubbling and churning. With a flick of my tail, I was perched on a rock, and I gazed about my wonderful realm of the sea. To my left was rushing waves, straight ahead was rushing waves, and to my right was a ship shuddering in the storm. I did a double take before I finally acknowledged the ship properly. It was large, and the larger they are, the harder they fall.

I watched as the crew frantically ran around, shouting commands at each other. One, two, threeSave the prince, save the prince!t looking, I came up to the surface of the water to peer at him once more. I made the mistake of flicking a loose, shimmering scale off of my tail and it landed in the sea with a big splash. (Fun fact: once a Merrow's scale comes off, if you find it, it will be what you want it to be. Gold, a precious gem, even a bag of food. Anything you can think of, but only one scale, only one of what you asked for.) He spun around and looked at me with wild eyes. I was about to dive down into the deep, navy blue water and head for home when he pleaded to me.

m scared, alone, and I just want to get is your home?County Cork, Ireland Da Misses (a term for your ),EW, don** I said swimming up to the boat. t far from here, I can take you. But there is a -cap,**That is

**red-cap. He stared at me in awe, and he shook his head no. I laughed in delight, he was scared and he knew that I was dangerous, but he didn**So , how are you going to get me home?Strictly AlinaWell, sir Air Head, we can swim, which will be very fast. Or I can pull your boat, which could take roughly a day or two.I think you should pull the boat.I think we should swim. The storm is still going on, and it will be much safer to travel under the sea.I am not going to kill you, okay? I honestly just want you out of my waters. Now, I can give you the ability to breathe under the water, or you can hold your breath,Can I breathe under the water please?Wha-wha-what are you doing?Hold still, I am going to give you the ability to breathe the water. Havens kiss?s kiss has magical properties; it can grant certain abilities, like water breathing, it can heal you, and it could also kill you, so be careful of what Merrow you kiss.) His face flushed a color as red as the shell on my comb and he squeezed his eyes shut. As quickly as I could, I pecked him on the lips.

A shimmering blue light surrounded him; it highlighted his chest, where water filled his lung. His hands, which webbed and his feet, which connected, giving him a Merrow's tail The sweet scent of gardenia, evergreen pine and the salty ocean spray cut through the air and that was my second indication that my magic worked. I was young, so even a little bit of magic drained me down to my core, but I promised that I would get him home. He opened his eyes and he looked me directly. I blushed and turned away from him.

**I asked trying to break my nervous tension, and he nodded. **

**I took his hand and dove beneath the surface to where my home lies. We swam past gorgeous, bright colored coral reefs, and we kept going until I saw land. I glanced back at him and saw his awed expression. His eyes frantically flicked in every direction and he finally noticed the piece of land that was in front of us. **

**"Uh, Blondie, what is that?" asked the prince. **

**"Well, Jimmy that is the cliff that you code to respect and protect the Merrow royalty. After all, we are caretakers of the sea and everything in it. **

**"No, I am returning him home. I appreciate your concern Sir Dahy." He gave me a nod of acknowledgment and swam away. I turned to the shaking, shell shocked form of poor Prince Brendan and felt the need of comforting him. **

**"Are you okay, Hun? He didn't mean to scare you; he was just worried about his princess being disturbed." I told him in an effort to soothe his nerves. He looked a bit relieved when I took a gentle tone with him, and he seemed to calm down a bit. **

**"How do I get to land?" He asked me. And from his tone, it was obvious he was trying to hide something from me. **

**"I can handle this part easily, but I need you to cover your ears really quick," I requested. He gave me an odd look but he obeyed my command. I opened my mouth slightly and I sang, making the guard at the ocean view entrance to the manor nearly dive over the edge. I pushed Brendan up to the surface and the guard snapped out of his trance. He rang the bell and yelled, **

**"The prince! The prince! Save the prince!" Several things happened at once. A net got thrown down for the prince to climb into, the prince looked at me with a pained expression and begged me to come with him, I nearly got tangled in the net, and my charms on him broke. **

**"Go," I told him, "you need to return to your home and I need to return to mine." I gave him a sweet smile and I dove deeper into the ocean, hoping that I would never see him again. For if I did, I would fall in love with him, only if I hadn't already.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

*Present Day*

_As the ages grew older, so did the Merrow. We have taken it upon ourselves to learn mundane culture; what they eat, what they drink, all the way downtown what they sleep on. I have especially enjoyed learning their fashions. I learned about the fabrics, the designs, all so wonderful. If only I were a land dweller…_

Every second since he left my gaze had been pure agony, but life flew by like it always does. Royal ceremonies, fancy dinners, and lectures to be the perfect, proper ruler was the most common days of my life, but once in a while, I get to roam freely. Just like the day I met the prince.

"Alina, you may do as you please today. Your father and I have very many things to discuss about," my mother told me.

I was always so jealous about her beauty. From the way her bouncy, brown curls framed her perfect heart shaped face, to the way her wide, blue eyes were always sparkling. She was the definition of beauty. The only thing I got from her is my curls, and my eyes. But other than that, I was practically her polar opposite. I have bright, golden, blonde hair, my skin is like the midnight, ivory moon, and I am quiet, clumsy, and a bad people person. My father and I share many of my qualities, but I don't look like him either. My sister got my mom's gorgeous looks and so did my two brothers. I was the minority of the family, and apparently that is a huge, juicy gossip. I hated most of the girls in the kingdom because of the gossip, but today was one of those days that I got to escape all of my worries.

We exchange a brief smile and then I made a break for it, and I swam like a bat outta' hell. I swam as fast as I could manage and I escaped from the huge kingdom into the OSW, translating to; the open sea waters. I had a huge smile on my face as I swam far, far away hoping to leave it all behind as quickly as possible. I swam up to the rock that I love to perch on, that is conveniently where I first met Brendan. I swam as fast as I could, faster and faster until I broke the surface of the water, leaping up onto my rock and lazily lounged on it. I peered around and I spotted a ship gently gliding through the soft rocking ocean. Curiously I dove into the water and swam up to it to get a better look.

A man that looked like Brendan, but older was manning the wheel. Accompanied by his crew. And just like the day that I met the prince, I let my guard down, all the while admiring his likeness to Brendan. He looked right at me and all I could see was my handsome boy crush.  
The man had light blue eyes, and because I had amazing vision, I could see the exact same chocolate brown flecks in his irises and the dark green ring around the outer most edge of his irises (just like Brendan.) He had straight brown hair like Brendan and he had dimples so deep, I could see them even though he was not smiling (like Brendan.) Everything about him reminded me about my crush and it almost hurt to look at him. I was so drowned in my fantasies that I did not notice a net being thrown overboard right on me, entangling me in a thick rope net. He stopped pulling the net up with his catch momentarily and then continued pulling me up. Once I was on the deck he walked over to me.

"Are you who I think you are?" he asked. His voice reflected Brendan's in every way. It melted my heart and I gave him a sleepy, drunken nod followed by a matching smile. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly and I swooned. He cocked his head to the side and studied me, inching slightly closer by the second until he was right in front of me. He crouched down next to me, stretched out his hand and his fingertips touched my tail. I flinched away at first, but after a moment of decision, I let him touch me. He slid his fingers over my shimmery blue and green scales, obviously feeling the smooth texture.

"I don't mean to sound needy or whiny but can I get out of this? It hurts and itches. Plus I will be easier on you when it comes time for your punishment," I said sweetly. He had a full blown smile on his face, reveling his perfectly set, pearly white teeth. I was trying my hardest not to burst because I missed Brendan so much.

"Now Milis (meaning "sweet" in Galician) why would you punish me? I'm only doing what my brother and father asked me to do. You are Princess Alina yes? The Merrow who banished him from ever returning to the sea?" My heart was thumping so quickly I thought it would explode.

I gave him a shy smile and asked, "Are you bringing me to Brendan?" He nodded, and that made me ache to see the prince again and I asked him one more question. "You are going to take it aren't you?" He lost his grin and nodded.

"I express great regret Milis, but it is the only way to ensure that you will stay on land," he whispered. I nodded and took the comb out of my hair. My bouncy golden curls fell to the floor and my heart felt like it had a weight on it. He looked shocked when I offered it to him. As soon as it left my hands, sweet gardenia, evergreen and the ocean spray surrounded me in a surprisingly alluring aroma and a faint blue light outlined my tail. All of my loyalties to the ocean were gone and I had no desire to be in the sea at all. I had no desire I be a Merrow. Slowly my tail separated in to two, and then my fins shrank looking more human. My webbed fingers separated, and the water from my lungs evaporated (Merrow don't have gills, we breathe easily because there is already water in our lungs.) Moments later, I had complete human feet, legs, hips, and hands. But I was also completely bare. I blushed and said,

"I think something to cover me is in order," he nodded, and whispered something not audible to a member of the crew, and he also gave him my comb. About two minutes later, he came back, comb less, and averted his eyes when he handed me the soft, blue thingy, that was explained as a "towel" in class. I untangled myself from the net, wrapped the "towel" around me and failed miserably when trying to stand up. The older Brendan lurched forward and caught me with ease. He was radiating heat so hot it could melt the Antarctic glaciers, and I had only then realized how cold I was. I snuggled as closely as possible to him and he gave me a soft smile.

"Are you cold a mhuirnín? (Translating to "darling" in Galician,)" he asked me, with tenderness in his voice. I looked up at him and shook my head no, stubbornly. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, making his dimples deepen. He glanced at a member of his crew, and told him to man the wheel while he took care of me. The man nodded and started calling out commands, while the replica of Brendan scooped me up and carried me to the biggest cabin. The captain's cabin. He glided into the room with grace that I couldn't manage as a Merrow, and he set me on the huge soft thingy that is obviously a human contraption. It was comfy and I couldn't help myself when I flopped down and just laid there. I think it is called a "bed"; I didn't pay much attention in that class. (Yeah, that's right, the Merrow children go to school, and just like you mere mortals do!) Brendan's brother glanced over at me and smiled.

"Oh," he said, "by the way, my name is Collin." I nodded and smiled as he brought me a short, navy blue piece of cloth described to me as a "nightgown" when I was taught in the class about fashion

He placed the "gown" in my hands; it was silky, smooth to the touch and saying that it was beautiful did not do it justice. The long sleeves were made of lace, and the sweetheart neckline was beaded with real crystals. I slipped it on and it fit like a dream. It hugged my chest not too tightly, and it fit to my curves perfectly. It reached just above mid-thigh and the bottom hem flared out enough to where it flowed. I turned to him and words exploded out of my mouth.

"I love it! The gown is so beautiful, and it is my size. Why is it my size? Even I don't know my human clothes sizes. Why do you have girl clothes on the ship?" He gave me a sweet but wary smile and the scent of furniture polish and honey filled the air; it was the scent of magic. His ears grew slightly pointed. His multi-colored eyes seemed to glow brighter and the flecks in his eyes were more pronounced. His cheekbones were sharper and he had gained a beautiful aura to him that was inhuman. That is when I realized what was in front of me. A Daoine Maithe a Pureblood from the way his magic did not drain him at all. Should have known. They are one of the friendliest species of the faerie, and even through his human disguise, I knew there was something powerful about him.

"Fae clothes fit to their wearers," he explained. Which made complete sense; I mean if you have the magic to do it, why not? I nodded in understanding and he said, "And for your other question, I came to find you specifically, you sensed that didn't you?"

"No, I didn't and don't worry, I'm not mad to you. You're fulfilling a request from family. All that I wish from you is that you try your hardest to make me comfortable," I told him in all fairness. He opened his arms and I snuggled down into them. I put my arms around his neck and I rested my head against his chest. I sighed when he warmed my entire body with his extreme body-heat.

"You'll like it at our manor," he whispered in my ear reassuringly. "We have gardens, and lots of space to roam freely in and we are surrounded by a thick forest, so you can be alone if you want to, but you can't roam to far that would worry us and-"

"Shush, I will be happy as long as I'm with Brendan," I exclaimed sleepily. He sighed in relief and with me still in his arms, he stood up to pull back the "blanket I do believe it is called" on the comfy bed thing. He tucked me in, just as I fell asleep.

Sunlight poured through the hole in the wall called a "window" I think. I sat up groggily and as if on cue, Collin tapped on the door gently.  
"Princess," he said softly, "we have arrived." I squeaked and swung myself out of bed, forgetting that I had no land legs at all, even if we were at sea. I took a step and I landed flat on my face with a loud thud. Collin swung opened the door and he swiped me up into his arms. "Milis, you are not strong enough to walk on your own yet," he disciplined me lightly. I blushed, looked down and muttered,

"My apologizes." He lifted me chin with his finger making me look at him and he told me,

"Milis, don't apologize, I'm just worried for your safety. As long as you accept my many faults, I will accept your few." He held my gaze until I couldn't help myself and I threw my arms around his neck as a sign of my gratitude. (When it comes to faerie, you are not supposed to say thank you, the faerie find it disrespectful as it dilutes their act of kindness or whatever they have done for you.)

"How long till we reach the castle? Do I have to change? Is Brendan expecting me? Oh my goodness, I have not seen him in so long. Will he remember me? I-" Then I was shut up by Collin putting his index finger over my lips. Muffled, I said, "my apologies." Collin shook his head and chuckled as he sat me down on the bed.

He disappeared through the door and came back with a long sleeved gown that went to my feet. It was a light ice blue, like my eyes, and the sleeves were made of a skin tight lace. The dress fit snugly until it got to my stomach, and that's where it started to gently flare out away from my body. The bodice was embroidered in crystals and gems of all kinds and the neckline was sweetheart. The way the sleeves were made was off the shoulder, and I had a gorgeous, black velvet belt that was tied under my bust. My shoes were made of the same soft material. It was obvious that I was not supposed to walk.

As soon as I dressed, he picked me up and took me off the ship to an awaiting "horse drawn carriage" as he described to me. I was nervous when I saw the animals, as I had never seen them before. We climbed in and I clung to him for dear life as soon as we started down the old dirt road in a steady trot. I relaxed after about ten minutes, and I started to notice the changes in the scenery. The greenery grew thick; bushy Evergreens, old Oaks, beautiful Rowans, grand Elms, and glorious Ashes. I knew none of these plants, but Collin did. And he explained them on the way. I looked at the green shrubs and the bright colorful flowers. All so beautiful, but most very poisonous. We pulled into the castle and if could feel my heart warm and puffing in my throat. Collin jumped down and offered his hand to me. Once I was down he slipped his arm through mine for support and I put my full weight on him, not that he seemed to mind. He hurried through the maze of hall, and he seemed to know the way. We pulled up short, and he turned to me and asked,

"Are you ready Milis?" I was quivering in excitements and that seemed like enough for him. The two guards at the doors pulled them open, revealing a very old Brendan, and the boy himself sitting in two of the four royal thrones. My eyes locked on Brendan's and neither of us could look away. I gathered up the hem of my skirt and I found the strength to work my legs, with the help of an adrenalin rush. One second I was racing towards him, the next second I was interlocked in his arms. I threw my arms around his neck and burrowed my face in his shoulder.

He swung me up into his arms bridal style and he looked at his elder for approval. The older man sitting in the thrown had a beaming smile on his face and he nodded. Brendan raced out of the throne room and down a hall. We came to a room with a deep brown door obviously made of Rowan bark. He flung the door open and set me down on a bed like the one that Collin had on the boat, but this one was bigger. He sat down in front of me and he just decided to look at me. For about five minutes, he gazed at me, and I had never felt more self-conscious.  
I was just about to say something, when he flung himself at me. I was caught off guard and he was able to chain me to his bed frame with handcuffs. The only problem with this was they were iron, and iron is a substance that drains magic, prevents magic, and burns like hell. I opened my mouth to sing, hoping I had some magic left, and that if I did, the iron wouldn't stop me. He crushed his mouth roughly to mine, in an attempt to stop me, and when he came up for air, he said,

"Oh no, you can't do that naughty girl," he scolded me.

"Why," I spat at him angrily. He laughed without humor and when I looked into his eyes, I found them empty, but yet filled with an upmost madness.

"Because Blondie, for one it wouldn't work; the iron. And for a second, the door is made of Rowan, no one would hear you. Besides, why would you want to leave me, for a second time? There is no way in fuck that you are leaving me again. Damn it! I have waited for you since the 1600s and now you show up," he kept raising his voice and I kept flinching back, "you aren't leaving me, ever!" And with that said, he striped me of all clothes and all dignity. The horrific actions he did next, I won't explain, and when he was done, he passed out. I did what I could do. I sang. And I sang a song that I knew was passed down from generation to generation, but I didn't know where I learned it from, and I didn't know what it was called. I sang and sang to my heart's content, and then the name hit me, The Merrow's Song. I didn't know what it meant or what it was supposed to mean, but I knew that it was important.

**Chapter 1**

*Present Day*

_As the ages grew older, so did the Merrow. We have taken it upon ourselves to learn mundane culture; what they eat, what they drink, all the way downtown what they sleep on. I have especially enjoyed learning their fashions. I learned about the fabrics, the designs, all so wonderful. If only I were a land dweller…_

Every second since he left my gaze had been pure agony, but life flew by like it always does. Royal ceremonies, fancy dinners, and lectures to be the perfect, proper ruler was the most common days of my life, but once in a while, I get to roam freely. Just like the day I met the prince.

"Alina, you may do as you please today. Your father and I have very many things to discuss about," my mother told me.

I was always so jealous about her beauty. From the way her bouncy, brown curls framed her perfect heart shaped face, to the way her wide, blue eyes were always sparkling. She was the definition of beauty. The only thing I got from her is my curls, and my eyes. But other than that, I was practically her polar opposite. I have bright, golden, blonde hair, my skin is like the midnight, ivory moon, and I am quiet, clumsy, and a bad people person. My father and I share many of my qualities, but I don't look like him either. My sister got my mom's gorgeous looks and so did my two brothers. I was the minority of the family, and apparently that is a huge, juicy gossip. I hated most of the girls in the kingdom because of the gossip, but today was one of those days that I got to escape all of my worries.

We exchange a brief smile and then I made a break for it, and I swam like a bat outta' hell. I swam as fast as I could manage and I escaped from the huge kingdom into the OSW, translating to; the open sea waters. I had a huge smile on my face as I swam far, far away hoping to leave it all behind as quickly as possible. I swam up to the rock that I love to perch on, that is conveniently where I first met Brendan. I swam as fast as I could, faster and faster until I broke the surface of the water, leaping up onto my rock and lazily lounged on it. I peered around and I spotted a ship gently gliding through the soft rocking ocean. Curiously I dove into the water and swam up to it to get a better look.

A man that looked like Brendan, but older was manning the wheel. Accompanied by his crew. And just like the day that I met the prince, I let my guard down, all the while admiring his likeness to Brendan. He looked right at me and all I could see was my handsome boy crush.  
The man had light blue eyes, and because I had amazing vision, I could see the exact same chocolate brown flecks in his irises and the dark green ring around the outer most edge of his irises (just like Brendan.) He had straight brown hair like Brendan and he had dimples so deep, I could see them even though he was not smiling (like Brendan.) Everything about him reminded me about my crush and it almost hurt to look at him. I was so drowned in my fantasies that I did not notice a net being thrown overboard right on me, entangling me in a thick rope net. He stopped pulling the net up with his catch momentarily and then continued pulling me up. Once I was on the deck he walked over to me.

"Are you who I think you are?" he asked. His voice reflected Brendan's in every way. It melted my heart and I gave him a sleepy, drunken nod followed by a matching smile. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly and I swooned. He cocked his head to the side and studied me, inching slightly closer by the second until he was right in front of me. He crouched down next to me, stretched out his hand and his fingertips touched my tail. I flinched away at first, but after a moment of decision, I let him touch me. He slid his fingers over my shimmery blue and green scales, obviously feeling the smooth texture.

"I don't mean to sound needy or whiny but can I get out of this? It hurts and itches. Plus I will be easier on you when it comes time for your punishment," I said sweetly. He had a full blown smile on his face, reveling his perfectly set, pearly white teeth. I was trying my hardest not to burst because I missed Brendan so much.

"Now Milis (meaning "sweet" in Galician) why would you punish me? I'm only doing what my brother and father asked me to do. You are Princess Alina yes? The Merrow who banished him from ever returning to the sea?" My heart was thumping so quickly I thought it would explode.

I gave him a shy smile and asked, "Are you bringing me to Brendan?" He nodded, and that made me ache to see the prince again and I asked him one more question. "You are going to take it aren't you?" He lost his grin and nodded.

"I express great regret Milis, but it is the only way to ensure that you will stay on land," he whispered. I nodded and took the comb out of my hair. My bouncy golden curls fell to the floor and my heart felt like it had a weight on it. He looked shocked when I offered it to him. As soon as it left my hands, sweet gardenia, evergreen and the ocean spray surrounded me in a surprisingly alluring aroma and a faint blue light outlined my tail. All of my loyalties to the ocean were gone and I had no desire to be in the sea at all. I had no desire I be a Merrow. Slowly my tail separated in to two, and then my fins shrank looking more human. My webbed fingers separated, and the water from my lungs evaporated (Merrow don't have gills, we breathe easily because there is already water in our lungs.) Moments later, I had complete human feet, legs, hips, and hands. But I was also completely bare. I blushed and said,

"I think something to cover me is in order," he nodded, and whispered something not audible to a member of the crew, and he also gave him my comb. About two minutes later, he came back, comb less, and averted his eyes when he handed me the soft, blue thingy, that was explained as a "towel" in class. I untangled myself from the net, wrapped the "towel" around me and failed miserably when trying to stand up. The older Brendan lurched forward and caught me with ease. He was radiating heat so hot it could melt the Antarctic glaciers, and I had only then realized how cold I was. I snuggled as closely as possible to him and he gave me a soft smile.

"Are you cold a mhuirnín? (Translating to "darling" in Galician,)" he asked me, with tenderness in his voice. I looked up at him and shook my head no, stubbornly. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, making his dimples deepen. He glanced at a member of his crew, and told him to man the wheel while he took care of me. The man nodded and started calling out commands, while the replica of Brendan scooped me up and carried me to the biggest cabin. The captain's cabin. He glided into the room with grace that I couldn't manage as a Merrow, and he set me on the huge soft thingy that is obviously a human contraption. It was comfy and I couldn't help myself when I flopped down and just laid there. I think it is called a "bed"; I didn't pay much attention in that class. (Yeah, that's right, the Merrow children go to school, and just like you mere mortals do!) Brendan's brother glanced over at me and smiled.

"Oh," he said, "by the way, my name is Collin." I nodded and smiled as he brought me a short, navy blue piece of cloth described to me as a "nightgown" when I was taught in the class about fashion

He placed the "gown" in my hands; it was silky, smooth to the touch and saying that it was beautiful did not do it justice. The long sleeves were made of lace, and the sweetheart neckline was beaded with real crystals. I slipped it on and it fit like a dream. It hugged my chest not too tightly, and it fit to my curves perfectly. It reached just above mid-thigh and the bottom hem flared out enough to where it flowed. I turned to him and words exploded out of my mouth.

"I love it! The gown is so beautiful, and it is my size. Why is it my size? Even I don't know my human clothes sizes. Why do you have girl clothes on the ship?" He gave me a sweet but wary smile and the scent of furniture polish and honey filled the air; it was the scent of magic. His ears grew slightly pointed. His multi-colored eyes seemed to glow brighter and the flecks in his eyes were more pronounced. His cheekbones were sharper and he had gained a beautiful aura to him that was inhuman. That is when I realized what was in front of me. A Daoine Maithe a Pureblood from the way his magic did not drain him at all. Should have known. They are one of the friendliest species of the faerie, and even through his human disguise, I knew there was something powerful about him.

"Fae clothes fit to their wearers," he explained. Which made complete sense; I mean if you have the magic to do it, why not? I nodded in understanding and he said, "And for your other question, I came to find you specifically, you sensed that didn't you?"

"No, I didn't and don't worry, I'm not mad to you. You're fulfilling a request from family. All that I wish from you is that you try your hardest to make me comfortable," I told him in all fairness. He opened his arms and I snuggled down into them. I put my arms around his neck and I rested my head against his chest. I sighed when he warmed my entire body with his extreme body-heat.

"You'll like it at our manor," he whispered in my ear reassuringly. "We have gardens, and lots of space to roam freely in and we are surrounded by a thick forest, so you can be alone if you want to, but you can't roam to far that would worry us and-"

"Shush, I will be happy as long as I'm with Brendan," I exclaimed sleepily. He sighed in relief and with me still in his arms, he stood up to pull back the "blanket I do believe it is called" on the comfy bed thing. He tucked me in, just as I fell asleep.

Sunlight poured through the hole in the wall called a "window" I think. I sat up groggily and as if on cue, Collin tapped on the door gently.  
"Princess," he said softly, "we have arrived." I squeaked and swung myself out of bed, forgetting that I had no land legs at all, even if we were at sea. I took a step and I landed flat on my face with a loud thud. Collin swung opened the door and he swiped me up into his arms. "Milis, you are not strong enough to walk on your own yet," he disciplined me lightly. I blushed, looked down and muttered,

"My apologizes." He lifted me chin with his finger making me look at him and he told me,

"Milis, don't apologize, I'm just worried for your safety. As long as you accept my many faults, I will accept your few." He held my gaze until I couldn't help myself and I threw my arms around his neck as a sign of my gratitude. (When it comes to faerie, you are not supposed to say thank you, the faerie find it disrespectful as it dilutes their act of kindness or whatever they have done for you.)

"How long till we reach the castle? Do I have to change? Is Brendan expecting me? Oh my goodness, I have not seen him in so long. Will he remember me? I-" Then I was shut up by Collin putting his index finger over my lips. Muffled, I said, "my apologies." Collin shook his head and chuckled as he sat me down on the bed.

He disappeared through the door and came back with a long sleeved gown that went to my feet. It was a light ice blue, like my eyes, and the sleeves were made of a skin tight lace. The dress fit snugly until it got to my stomach, and that's where it started to gently flare out away from my body. The bodice was embroidered in crystals and gems of all kinds and the neckline was sweetheart. The way the sleeves were made was off the shoulder, and I had a gorgeous, black velvet belt that was tied under my bust. My shoes were made of the same soft material. It was obvious that I was not supposed to walk.

As soon as I dressed, he picked me up and took me off the ship to an awaiting "horse drawn carriage" as he described to me. I was nervous when I saw the animals, as I had never seen them before. We climbed in and I clung to him for dear life as soon as we started down the old dirt road in a steady trot. I relaxed after about ten minutes, and I started to notice the changes in the scenery. The greenery grew thick; bushy Evergreens, old Oaks, beautiful Rowans, grand Elms, and glorious Ashes. I knew none of these plants, but Collin did. And he explained them on the way. I looked at the green shrubs and the bright colorful flowers. All so beautiful, but most very poisonous. We pulled into the castle and if could feel my heart warm and puffing in my throat. Collin jumped down and offered his hand to me. Once I was down he slipped his arm through mine for support and I put my full weight on him, not that he seemed to mind. He hurried through the maze of hall, and he seemed to know the way. We pulled up short, and he turned to me and asked,

"Are you ready Milis?" I was quivering in excitements and that seemed like enough for him. The two guards at the doors pulled them open, revealing a very old Brendan, and the boy himself sitting in two of the four royal thrones. My eyes locked on Brendan's and neither of us could look away. I gathered up the hem of my skirt and I found the strength to work my legs, with the help of an adrenalin rush. One second I was racing towards him, the next second I was interlocked in his arms. I threw my arms around his neck and burrowed my face in his shoulder.

He swung me up into his arms bridal style and he looked at his elder for approval. The older man sitting in the thrown had a beaming smile on his face and he nodded. Brendan raced out of the throne room and down a hall. We came to a room with a deep brown door obviously made of Rowan bark. He flung the door open and set me down on a bed like the one that Collin had on the boat, but this one was bigger. He sat down in front of me and he just decided to look at me. For about five minutes, he gazed at me, and I had never felt more self-conscious.  
I was just about to say something, when he flung himself at me. I was caught off guard and he was able to chain me to his bed frame with handcuffs. The only problem with this was they were iron, and iron is a substance that drains magic, prevents magic, and burns like hell. I opened my mouth to sing, hoping I had some magic left, and that if I did, the iron wouldn't stop me. He crushed his mouth roughly to mine, in an attempt to stop me, and when he came up for air, he said,

"Oh no, you can't do that naughty girl," he scolded me.

"Why," I spat at him angrily. He laughed without humor and when I looked into his eyes, I found them empty, but yet filled with an upmost madness.

"Because Blondie, for one it wouldn't work; the iron. And for a second, the door is made of Rowan, no one would hear you. Besides, why would you want to leave me, for a second time? There is no way in fuck that you are leaving me again. Damn it! I have waited for you since the 1600s and now you show up," he kept raising his voice and I kept flinching back, "you aren't leaving me, ever!" And with that said, he striped me of all clothes and all dignity. The horrific actions he did next, I won't explain, and when he was done, he passed out. I did what I could do. I sang. And I sang a song that I knew was passed down from generation to generation, but I didn't know where I learned it from, and I didn't know what it was called. I sang and sang to my heart's content, and then the name hit me, The Merrow's Song. I didn't know what it meant or what it was supposed to mean, but I knew that it was important.


End file.
